Sunday, July 26, 2020

Exodus 31

What does it say?
The Lord called Bezalel from the tribe of Judah and filled him with the Holy Spirit , along with Oholiab from the tribe of Dan; there were others but these two led the work done on the articles that the Lord commanded through Moses. The Lord reinforced the sabbath rest which is the sign of the covenant between the Lord and the sons of Israel; the sabbath rest acknowledges that God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh day. The Lord concluded speaking on Mount Sinai and gave Moses the two stone tablets of the testimony, written by the finger of God.

What does it mean?
The fact that the Lord called two men from separate tribes to do the work on the sanctuary indicates plurality in the work of the Lord. It should also be noted that these men were not of the priestly tribe of Levi but they were called by the Lord to work. The work that they were called to do was not work that most would consider holy, yet the Lord filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding and knowledge for craftsmanship. There are many people doing all kinds of work who are not preachers. The Lord concluded giving his commandments by reinforcing the sabbath commandment. Thus, the sabbath rest is the sign of the Mosaic covenant between the Lord and the sons of Israel. The sabbath is not the sign of the new covenant. For six days the Lord created heaven and earth and he rested on the seventh day; therefore, the sabbath rest is in honor of the creator. However, the Lord is no longer at rest. He has risen from the dead on the first day of the week. God is creating a new heaven and new earth but this time God is beginning by making a new man. Therefore, the sign of the new covenant is not the sabbath, it is the empty tomb. Jesus Christ was the first to rise and all will rise at his second coming. In the first covenant God wrote his commandments on two stone tablets but in the new covenant his commandments are written on our hearts.

What shall I do?
I was called by the Lord to be a nurse. My calling is nursing as ministry. It is a difficult job for many reasons but the Lord has filled me with his Spirit in wisdom, understanding and knowledge to do this work. Therefore, I shall consider bedside nursing holy to the Lord. The sign of the new covenant is faith in Jesus Christ. We gather to worship the Lord, and hear his word preached, on the first day of the week because it is on the first day of the week that the tomb was found empty. It is not a law that I should observe but I shall gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ on the first day of the week in remembrance of Jesus Christ. Jesus broke the bread and said, “Eat,” and he passed the cup and said, “Drink,” he said to do this in remembrance of me. We do this on the first day of the week because on the first day of the week the tomb was found empty. It is a new and better beginning.